Buhari approves new salary structure for police
Pr e s i d e n t Muhammadu Buhari has approved an enhanced salary structure for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for effective policing of the country.
The approval was announced during an audience in State House, Abuja with members of the Nigeria Police Service Commission (NPC) and the leadership of the Police Force led by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
Details of the enhanced salary structure tagged ‘Rank Salary Structure Adjustment’ was, however, not made available to journalists up to the time this story was filed last night.
With the approval, salary, allowances and pension of policemen will be increased.
The President in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said his administration will continue to give attention to the welfare and operational needs of the NPF with a view to restoring its lost primacy in the internal security framework of the country.
Buhari regretted that the inability of the police in their constitutional role as the frontline force in the prevention of crime, had led to military involvement in the maintenance of law and order throughout the country.
He said the more efficient the police force is, the more confident the government and citizens will be.
“The military should be reserved for higher tasks. The police should be able to cope well with the challenges of armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom and such crimes. In every town and village, there is the presence of the police. From all these places, they should be able to forward first class intelligence to you on which to act,” he said.
A full-time Commissioner of the NPC, retired Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, who represented the chairman, Musiliu Smith, had informed the President that the Rank Salary Structure Adjustment would enhance police welfare and morale.
The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris said the police would redouble efforts to ensure free, fair and credible elections throughout the country next year.